LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Editorial on Blair off mark

11/18/2013

Bishop Leonard Blair has been an exemplary shepherd for the Diocese of Toledo, but your Nov. 9 editorial “Toledo’s next bishop” implies otherwise. You try to speak knowingly on Catholic issues, but it seems you know so little about the Catholic Church.

You referenced criticism from absentee Catholics for the bishop’s polarizing effect on them, and cited his criticism of the University of Notre Dame for hosting President Obama. Really? Bishop Blair unified the local faithful in many ways, increased its count by 22,000, and rightly spoke out against a Catholic institution honoring a speaker who touts opposition to Catholic teaching.

I am saddened that Bishop Blair is leaving (“Blair elevated to archbishop in Connecticut; Toledo could wait months before new bishop is selected,” Oct. 30). What a good man.

The church has been around for 2,000 years and we haven’t been able to mess up yet what God created.

I thank Bishop Blair for his service to the people of Toledo.

MIKE DODSON

Brownstone Boulevard

Singling out Muslims wrong

Shame on The Blade for publishing an overtly racist letter arguing that, as the headline on the Nov. 8 Readers’ Forum letter said: “Peaceful Muslims should unite.” The writer implies that all acts of terrorists who proclaim to be Muslim have been, are, and will continue to be the responsibility of all Muslims, until and unless all Muslims unite as one and condemn such actions. This would be an impossibility in any practical terms.

The writer doesn’t call upon all whites or Christians to unite as one and condemn all the horrible acts of whites or Christians.

STUART CUBBON

Sylvania

Helping Muslims a wiser move

A recent letter writer pointed out that it is up to peaceful Muslims to root out the murderous extremists in their midst. I wish our government had provided technical and financial assistance to sympathetic Muslim governments to help them marginalize religious extremists.

That would have helped moderate Muslims root out the terrorists. Instead, we chose to take matters into our own hands and to seek revenge.

Christians need to realize that Jesus’ teaching us to love our enemies is not an abstract ideal behavior, but a strategy that makes good political sense.

RICHARD SCHULTZ

Monclova Township

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